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Marriage May Help Alleviate Depression Woes, Study Finds
> 6/5/2007 1:52:36 PM

Despite what all those single friends and prime-time sitcoms have led you to believe, a new study suggests that marriage can be a powerful factor in counteracting depression. According to the study published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, getting married can greatly improve a person's psychological well-being.

The study, conducted by Ohio State University graduate Adrianne Frech and her colleague, Kristi Williams, tested over 3,000 people who had previously been screened for depression. The findings showed that those who were married scored lower on the depression scale than those who were not married. Between the first measurement and the second, those individuals who were depressed scored nearly 8 points better if they were married. Those who considered themselves happy before, and got married scored 1.87 points lower on the scale. In total, the psychological benefits were greater for those who got married than for those who didn't- even if the marriage was rocky.

Although both Frech and Williams didn't find a definitive answer to why happier people benefit less from marriage than those who were depressed, they hypothesize that marriage could provide the necessary emotional support depressed people need to help cope and alleviate their depression symptoms.

So the next time you are at a engagement party ribbing the newly betrothed on taking the plunge, you might want to remember that chances are they're looking at a more mentally fit future together.